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President Sata Of Zambia Dies In London Aged 77

President Sata Of Zambia Dies In London Aged 77

Zambia's President Sata waits to address the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York

According to Reuters, Zambian President Michael Sata, an abrasive figure nicknamed “King Cobra” because of his venomous tongue, has died in London, where he was receiving medical treatment, Zambia’s government said on Wednesday.

The cause of death was not immediately disclosed, but Sata had been ill for some time. He was being treated at London’s King Edward VII hospital when he died, the website Zambian Watchdog reported. He was 77.

“As you are aware, the president was receiving medical attention in London,” cabinet secretary Roland Msiska announced on state television. “The head of state passed away on October 28. President Sata’s demise is deeply regretted.”

Sata is likely to be succeeded on an interim basis by Defense Minister Edgar Lungu, who stood in recently as acting president, or by Vice-President Guy Scott, who would become Africa’s first white head of state since South Africa’s F.W. de Klerk in 1994.

The constitution says a new presidential election must be held within 90 days. Most analysts say Scott is unlikely to run because of citizenship restrictions.

Tributes poured in from Zambia and around the world.

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“Sata was more than a public servant. He was a passionate competitor, a man of conviction and determination,” Rupiah Banda, Sata’s predecessor, said in a statement. “Above all, Michael Sata was a Zambian, in body, soul, and spirit.”

Image Credit: REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine

 

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